Bible Study - 'The Second Coming of Christ'

[stunnedbygrace]

On a different note, for some reason I don’t know, I suddenly picked up Isaiah again today. I got the same sinking feeling in my stomach as I always do when I read it and see my own country is doing all the same exact things Israel did to make God angry with them. You could literally replace the word Israel with the word USA everywhere it occurs and you’d have a pretty accurate description of my country.

I’ve asked many people much older than myself if they had ever seen a time previously where such hatred and violence had ever been seen by them on the scale they are seeing it on now. They bring up some bad times, some vitriolic times and quite tense times and phases during their lifetimes, but they all say, no, never this bad in their lives. And the great majority of them say something like (without any prompting), that it seems to them that people are being driven crazy.

 

[MatthewG]

May God direct and guide. It’s fun to teach, and I don’t condemn others for doing so if they are wanting to do so. It’s up to individuals to study, it doesn’t mean when you do study for yourself and share not everyone is gonna jump on board and be okay with it. They will be resistant and they will also judge you, I’ve come to understand this now by the wisdom of God, having let me go through so much. Just gotta accept people have free will and choose what they wanna do, and hopefully when they do what they do they are being lead by the spirit that causes us to have agape love, or we can choose our fleshly way and be rude to others. That is the only two choices, it seems to me personally. Either we love God and love others despite how strange and weird they are, or we choose to not love as Jesus commanded and that should lead us to sorrow and repentance in changing our minds about how one handles things.

 

[ChristisGod]

James 3:1- AMP
Not many [of you] should become teachers [serving in an official teaching capacity], my brothers and sisters, for you know that we [who are teachers] will be judged by a higher standard [because we have assumed greater accountability and more condemnation if we teach incorrectly].

 

[MatthewG]

On a different note, for some reason I don’t know, I suddenly picked up Isaiah again today. I got the same sinking feeling in my stomach as I always do when I read it and see my own country is doing all the same exact things Israel did to make God angry with them. You could literally replace the word Israel with the word USA everywhere it occurs and you’d have a pretty accurate description of my country.

I’ve asked many people much older than myself if they had ever seen a time previously where such hatred and violence had ever been seen by them on the scale they are seeing it on now. They bring up some bad times, some vitriolic times and quite tense times and phases during their lifetimes, but they all say, no, never this bad in their lives. And the great majority of them say something like (without any prompting), that it seems to them that people are being driven crazy.

You know what has helped me in my own personal life? I stopped watching the news and politics and stuff on the tv. Sometimes I’ll listen to the NPR station, however most of my life previously in seeking the things of this world has been cut off away from me. This has helped me get off even Facebook, Porn sites, and even web chat sites I use to go and hang out with other individuals just to chat, video games all of that stuff since focusing on Christ more have been cut away from me.

When all of those things started to die off, and you just live life in relative silence, (though I still use YouTube or watch Netflix or listen to music sometimes not as much as I use to), the more peaceful life becomes, and the less worry you start having because you are starting to place your focus on heavenly things, praying for individuals more often and asking God to help you by the Holy Spirit and reading the Bible more and learning about God and his Son.

This is all due to the Lord Jesus Christ and his strength to just get rid of some of things that are founded not as needful in this life because the relationship is what is being focused on with God and it’s highly important for all individuals that follow Christ to focus on that relationship, in my best estimation.

Life is much more peaceful than it use to be, and at the same time it’s understood that violence and killings and things like that and pride and the homosexual crowd and the abuse and abduction of children and all these things still go on in the world, and all the world gives to individuals is the pride of life, the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh; even though we can do good things while here in the world; such as fight for the children being abducted and fight for the children to not be abused.

The best focus is the relationship with God and if you find yourself in a situation where you can get to talk about God with another person it won’t be about condemning them, but rather sharing the truth about Jesus Christ and pointing towards the King whom brings peace and rest to all who are weary and heavily burdened.

I’m not perfect nor am I prideful over others because of my changed life by Christ, I still fall short and have weakness and God still sees me for who I am and loves me either way because of his Son, it is the same way for everyone on these boards.

Maybe this will encourage someone out there, I have no idea this life is tough and had many problems, and may heart breaks and aches.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

They will be resistant and they will also judge you, I’ve come to understand this now by the wisdom of God, having let me go through so much.

There’s that odd persecution complex again that you have. It might be just as likely that they are being resistant because you are not teaching things God has shown you but are rather trying to teach them another man’s ramblings.
I know some get very vitriolic and ugly but you accuse men of being ugly who are not being ugly though.

I still have the distinct feeling that there is something here we are not aware of that you’ve not shared with us about yourself, whether a behavioral issue or a psychological issue or a learning issue, or something we aren’t aware of about you. And I don’t say that to taunt you or cut you down.

 

[MatthewG]

There’s that odd persecution complex again that you have. It might be just as likely that they are being resistant because you are not teaching things God has shown you but are rather trying to teach them another man’s ramblings.
I know some get very vitriolic and ugly but you accuse men of being ugly who are not being ugly though.

I still have the distinct feeling that there is something here we are not aware of that you’ve not shared with us about yourself, whether a behavioral issue or a psychological issue or a learning issue, or something we aren’t aware of about you.

It’s for me to have to let go and forgive. To hold grudges is not good, there are some here who like to rail accusations or continue to pester and harass because they choose to do so. All I can do is let it go, you know I just have to let things go and forgive and move forward because if I harbor on what people think of me it just leads to misery; we are meant to be set free in liberty in Christ and to love God and love others. That is what is highly important to me over any judgments people can make or people trying to condemn me in any manner or try to twist things I may say.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

You know what has helped me in my own personal life? I stopped watching the news and politics and stuff on the tv. Sometimes I’ll listen to the NPR station, however most of my life previously in seeking the things of this world has been cut off away from me. This has helped me get off even Facebook, Porn sites, and even web chat sites I use to go and hang out with other individuals just to chat, video games all of that stuff since focusing on Christ more have been cut away from me.

When all of those things started to die off, and you just live life in relative silence, (though I still use YouTube or watch Netflix or listen to music sometimes not as much as I use to), the more peaceful life becomes, and the less worry you start having because you are starting to place your focus on heavenly things, praying for individuals more often and asking God to help you by the Holy Spirit and reading the Bible more and learning about God and his Son.

This is all due to the Lord Jesus Christ and his strength to just get rid of some of things that are founded not as needful in this life because the relationship is what is being focused on with God and it’s highly important for all individuals that follow Christ to focus on that relationship, in my best estimation.

Life is much more peaceful than it use to be, and at the same time it’s understood that violence and killings and things like that and pride and the homosexual crowd and the abuse and abduction of children and all these things still go on in the world, and all the world gives to individuals is the pride of life, the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh; even though we can do good things while here in the world; such as fight for the children being abducted and fight for the children to not be abused.

The best focus is the relationship with God and if you find yourself in a situation where you can get to talk about God with another person it won’t be about condemning them, but rather sharing the truth about Jesus Christ and pointing towards the King whom brings peace and rest to all who are weary and heavily burdened.

I’m not perfect nor am I prideful over others because of my changed life by Christ, I still fall short and have weakness and God still sees me for who I am and loves me either way because of his Son, it is the same way for everyone on these boards.

Maybe this will encourage someone out there, I have no idea this life is tough and had many problems, and may heart breaks and aches.

I went through a long period of cutting out the news too. After I could watch it and no longer lose all my peace, I began watching it sometimes again.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

It’s for me to have to let go and forgive. To hold grudges is not good, there are some here who like to rail accusations or continue to pester and harass because they choose to do so. All I can do is let it go, you know I just have to let things go and forgive and move forward because if I harbor on what people think of me it just leads to misery; we are meant to be set free in liberty in Christ and to love God and love others. That is what is highly important to me over any judgments people can make or people trying to condemn me in any manner or try to twist things I may say.

We all have a tough time with forgiveness and with getting our flesh stirred up by the flesh of others until He puts our flesh under our feet. First He works on trust and getting us not to worry so incessantly about things.

 

[Ancient]

This may add a little.

Shalom

 

[MatthewG]

We all have a tough time with forgiveness and with getting our flesh stirred up by the flesh of others until He puts our flesh under our feet. First He works on trust and getting us not to worry so incessantly about things.

This is why it is good to feed of the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus, find reassurance that in our weaknesses he is still there to help us by his strength, and his grace is sufficient when a person fails. To me Jesus is life, and there is no other one like him, he lives in us by his spirit, and because of Him we have access to the Father and the Holy Spirit of the Father too indwells within us sent by and in the name of Jesus. Prayer for your enemies and doing good to them by giving the a cup of cold water and doing good to them who persecute you, blessed are you because of these things, such reassurance found of feeding of the everlasting bread and drinking the everlasting water, standing on the solid foundation laid by the Lord Jesus Christ and his apostles. To have love for God and love for others. In faith which makes us have peace with God even though struggles and hardships come along, not losing hope that God will pull us through. Like Jesus when he walked on the water and help his disciples who tired to cross the River by their own strength only to find out they needed him with them to get across because of his strength.

Shalom. (Peace be with you I believe is what this means.)

 

[stunnedbygrace]

This may add a little.

Shalom

Gaah…this is the second time I tried to listen to this guy. I think you posted one of his videos somewhere else I tried to listen to. I’ll give it another try but I have a hard time hearing his words for the accent. I’ll try again.

 

[Nancy]

Gaah…this is the second time I tried to listen to this guy. I think you posted one of his videos somewhere else I tried to listen to. I’ll give it another try but I have a hard time hearing his words for the accent. I’ll try again.

Aw, I love the Aussie accent!

 

[MatthewG]

Here is part 1 of his teaching on the great tribulation, me and him may differ on some things but either way, his teachings are very good in my opinion, he takes his time and it is good to help someone intercept the information.

He is sharing specifically on the Great tribulation, either way, I am here to respect all persons, no matter where they have come from, or what they are doing, or what they choose to do. We must have agape love, and must die to ourselves, and allow God to work in and through us by the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit of Christ that indwells in us.

 

[shortangel]

great perspectives here

 

[stunnedbygrace]

Whew…no. I gave the videos another try. I watched the first and a good portion of the second. He moves too slowly for me and meanders about. I can’t focus because of it. If he wanted to talk about the great time of trouble coming on the whole world to test it’s people, he never got to it in one and a half videos.

 

[Lambano]

James 3:1- AMP
Not many [of you] should become teachers [serving in an official teaching capacity], my brothers and sisters, for you know that we [who are teachers] will be judged by a higher standard [because we have assumed greater accountability and more condemnation if we teach incorrectly].

No worries, mate. Nobody's teaching here, 'cuz nobody's listening here. Just a bunch of blokes talking about Jesus over a beer.

Carry on.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

I’ve watched some helpful videos over the years by a man named Perry Stone. Especially the ones where he lays out all of the endtimes views and their problems. He does, like me, think the righteous are removed before the wrath of the Lamb and the wrath of God, so a good many might not want to watch any of them since they don’t agree that God always removes the righteous prior to pouring out His wrath.

He explains things like…how the wills of the wealthy used to have 7 leather bands and the bands were sealed shut by wax, to which 7 different witnesses would impress their signet rings in. When the will was to be read, all 7 of the witnesses had to be present to show that their ring fit one of the seals before the seal could be broken. (If one had died, his son who inherited the ring could be present with it.) so he has a lot of different historic things like that and he ties them in to his teachings.

I think even if I did not believe God removes the righteous before His wrath, I still might listen to him because of the historical aspects he covers…dunno.

I’m trying to think of other things I’ve gotten from his teaching…like, why they all were selling their homes - because they knew the destruction that was coming and that they would have to flee. That’s why they were selling.

 

[Robert Gwin]

@stunnedbygrace, I am going to continue in sharing the scripture relating to the subject, and if you have anymore things you would like to share here please feel free to do so, thank you for taking time to share what you did.

@Robert Gwin, it is really amazing that now today, we have the very Holy Spirit of God living with-in us, and that the kingdom of God resides with-in us according to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Here is what he said in Luke 17,

• Luk 17:20 And having been questioned by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God comes, He answered them and said, “The Kingdom of God does not come with observation;
• Luk 17:21 nor will they say, Behold, here; or behold, there; for behold, the Kingdom of God is within you.”

Some people think I am odd for already accepting the Lords Return for that day in age, but even so what is important to continue to grow in the knowledge of the Lord Yeshua, and to learn from the principles that are shown and shared in the Bible from the Old Testament, Apostolic record, and the Letters that were written.

It is all about love, and edifying others and not to become dividing and hating others because of differences, as some people may desire to go down that road it is very lonely road I use to walk myself, hating God, Jesus, hating other people, even my family...

God is good, and when we turn and look towards His Son it changes everything, and we are given the Holy Spirit of God himself that lives with-in us, according to the scriptures, Romans 5:1-6! What a great hope, that is not just a feeling, it is a knowing that the Holy Spirit has been given to us by God through faith which is a gift of God for us believing on the death, burial and resurrection.

Love to you, and to all, and to any enemies out there, of me just trying to share what I have learned from the Bible and the internal evidences. No one has to believe me, but we can at least love each other despite the differences!

- Matthew Gallagher

Notice who Jesus said that to Matt, the Kingdom certainly was not within them, your selected version is misleading you. Jesus admonished them that he, the King of the Kingdom was standing there right among them. If the Kingdom is within those whom Jesus later referred to as being from their father the devil, then I guess the Kingdom at it's best is established now. But I think not sir, I believe the Kingdom is coming, and soon!

 

[MatthewG]

Notice who Jesus said that to Matt, the Kingdom certainly was not within them, your selected version is misleading you.

Robert, I do not believe Jesus is misleading at all, and he was speaking the truth about the Kingdom of God being with-in a person.

Perhaps due to your disbelief of what Jesus Christ has said, you haven't experienced the truth oft he Kingdom of God actually being with-in you - your heart - being spiritually born again from above - being part of the heavenly Jerusalem and which the Spiritual Kingdom on High, that will never stop increasing.

In Luke 17: 20 Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’because the kingdom of God is in your midst.'

The word midst - in the greek 1787, entos,

The usage of entos is within, among, inside, the inside.

Jesus was explaining how that Kingdom of God would not be something people are able to physically be apart of, however from with-in them those who were believers (inside the souls of believers), they would have hope in knowing that they are a part of the Spiritual kingdom.


Jesus is speaking the truth, he is not lying.

Jesus admonished them that he, the King of the Kingdom was standing there right among them.

That doesn't seem to say that in the text sir, where did you get that answer from?

If the Kingdom is within those whom Jesus later referred to as being from their father the devil, then I guess the Kingdom at it's best is established now.

How could unbelievers have the kingdom of God with-in them? They are spiritually dead, not yet born from above as talked about in John 3. (The Pharisees and Scribes rejected Jesus, envied him and desired to kill him.)

But I think not sir, I believe the Kingdom is coming, and soon!

Okay, thank you for taking time to share what you believe. I will share with you too, however do not accept my word for it, may God guide you.

 

[Charlie24]

@stunnedbygrace, I am going to continue in sharing the scripture relating to the subject, and if you have anymore things you would like to share here please feel free to do so, thank you for taking time to share what you did.

@Robert Gwin, it is really amazing that now today, we have the very Holy Spirit of God living with-in us, and that the kingdom of God resides with-in us according to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Here is what he said in Luke 17,

• Luk 17:20 And having been questioned by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God comes, He answered them and said, “The Kingdom of God does not come with observation;
• Luk 17:21 nor will they say, Behold, here; or behold, there; for behold, the Kingdom of God is within you.”

Some people think I am odd for already accepting the Lords Return for that day in age, but even so what is important to continue to grow in the knowledge of the Lord Yeshua, and to learn from the principles that are shown and shared in the Bible from the Old Testament, Apostolic record, and the Letters that were written.

It is all about love, and edifying others and not to become dividing and hating others because of differences, as some people may desire to go down that road it is very lonely road I use to walk myself, hating God, Jesus, hating other people, even my family...

God is good, and when we turn and look towards His Son it changes everything, and we are given the Holy Spirit of God himself that lives with-in us, according to the scriptures, Romans 5:1-6! What a great hope, that is not just a feeling, it is a knowing that the Holy Spirit has been given to us by God through faith which is a gift of God for us believing on the death, burial and resurrection.

Love to you, and to all, and to any enemies out there, of me just trying to share what I have learned from the Bible and the internal evidences. No one has to believe me, but we can at least love each other despite the differences!

- Matthew Gallagher

Matthew, I hope you read this carefully considering what is being said. I'm doing this because I think you are a young man who has a heart for God, and by that, I don't think I'm wasting my time with you!

God chose Abraham to be the father of a nation that God would create for the soul purpose of introducing the Messiah to the world.

That nation is called Israel, God's chosen people. Israel was to evangelize the world. Of course God knew they would fail miserably in this calling (rejecting the Messiah) and had another plan to put His chosen people on the back burner, so to speak, so He chose the Church to temporarily replace Israel in that calling to evangelize the world.

Paul said in Rom. 3:1-2

"What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?

Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God."

The "oracles of God" is the Law of Moses. No law was given to the rest of the world, only to the Jews. This was to prepare them for their calling to evangelize the world, introducing the Messiah. Through the Law Israel was to live a consecrated life to God, being a peculiar people, different from the rest of the world. Again, to introduce their Messiah to the world. That responsibility has now been given to the Church through Israel's failure.

Not only that, but the Messiah was to be one of them, a Jew. So Israel was given the Law and the Messiah in preparation to guide the world to God.

When John the Baptist came preaching, "repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand," he was the chosen of God to introduce Israel to the Messiah. When Jesus came, he also preached, "repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." He was saying, John has told you I'm coming, and here I am!

Now here is the key to this whole thing of spiritualizing the Kingdom of God/Heaven.

What did Jesus mean when He cried out through the streets of Jerusalem, "repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand?" He was telling them, you have been prepared for this moment, accept me now and introduce me to the world. He was going to set up His literal throne (the Kingdom of Heaven) on this earth for the purpose of Israel to introduce Him to the world.

Look closely at Jn. 18:36.

"Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

Do you see that? Jesus is telling Pilate that His Kingdom is not on this earth now, physically! It couldn't be because the chosen nation to introduce Him to the world has rejected Him. But His Kingdom will be on earth when His chosen people, Israel come to Christ during the Great Tribulation. That will be the literal Millennial reign of Christ on this earth in God's original plan with Israel accepting Christ.

One other point to be made.

Luke 17:20-21

"And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you."

When Jesus told the Pharisees that "the kingdom of God is within you" He certainly wasn't telling the Pharisees the kingdom of God was within them. He was telling them the kingdom was among them, in the midst of them.

In the KJV and NKJV the bolded in the verse is translated "within you." In the NIV, NASB and NET it is translated "among you." In the NLT and HCLB it is "in the midst of you."

There is quite a bit of difference in "within you" and "among you/in the midst of you."

Jesus was telling the Pharisees that the Kingdom of God was "among them/in the midst of them" and "within" the hearts of the believers. But as I have shown, the Kingdom will be literal on this earth when Israel comes into the fold. Then we have come full circle of God's original plan for Israel and the Gentile world.

When Christ told them "the kingdom of God cometh not with observation" He was referring to the kingdom of God already being here in the hearts of all believers, in the Spirit. Of course they were looking for a conquering Messiah that would overthrow Rome, and had no idea what He was speaking of.

What is amazing to me is that Israel will be what God originally called them to be in the Millennial reign of Christ on this earth. For 1000 years they will be the bearers of the Gospel and priests to the world, as generations are born into this world during that time.

God's plan has come full circle to it's destiny! Despite the unbelief of man!

All this begs the question: What would have happened if Israel had accepted Christ in His first advent. That is a moot question, and we can discuss that later. In fact, I'm looking forward to discussing that question!